Demountable display rack



March 1, was. J, EBALES ET AL 2,110,034

DEMOUNTABLE DISPI. |AY RACK Filed Feb. 24, 1936" 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fr zz/erzi a fmr jmzegs Z. ficzas and March 1938. J. E. BALES ET All 2,110,034

DEMOUNTABLE DISPLAY RACK Filed Feb. 24, 1936, 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f5 r 15 n" 'y' f [aven ers-- /CZ77Z5 and Trczqy C 21/615777,

Patented Mar. 1, 1938 DEMOUNTABLE DISPLAY RACK James E. Bales, Aurora, 111., and Tracy Q. Weltmer, Kansas City, Mo.

Application February 24, 1936, Serial No. 65,268 2 Claims. (01. 211-135) This invention relates to demountable display racks or the like, more particularly for use in retail stores for displaying bakery goods.

Among other objects the invention aims to provide an improved rack of this type which can be shipped in knock-down form and which can be readily assembled and which at the same time is sturdy and secure.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is an assembled view, one leg being broken away for clearness of description.

Figure 2 is a partial enlarged section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a similar View taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a partial cross section taken on the line 4-@ of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of one upper front corner of the rack in disassembled relation.

Figure 6 is a partial vertical section taken on the lines 6'& of Figure 1 and Figure 7.

Figure 7 is a partial part top plan view of the structure of Figure 6.

In theillustrative construction there is shown in general four metal legs, a rear pair being numbered l and M respectively and a front pair I2 and 13 respectively. These legs are desirably of angular cross section and as here shown-of generally L-shape in such cross section.

Arranged to be interengaged with the legs are upper and lower trays I4 and 15 respectively, the interengagement of these trays with the legs serving also to maintain the parts in rack-like assembly. Since loose bolts, nuts or screws are apt to become lost and are diliicult to maintain in tight position, the invention desirably includes slip engagement means in the nature of tongue and groove connections.

For the bottom tray !5, for example, slots iii are provided in the vertical walls of the tray and at the corners thereof. These slots I6 are continued slightly into the bottom 57 of the tray as at 16a; where the slot is somewhat enlarged so that the head l8 of a rivet 19 may be received in the enlargement 96a of the slot it. There may be one such rivet carried by each of the legs W, H, l2 and 3 with the head !8 facing inwardly when the legs are arranged with their L-shaped faces toward each other. Thus when the tray is abutted against the leg with the head I8 of the rivet is received in the slot enlargement Ilia and the tray then pushed downwardly on the leg, the rivet head l8 will engage the margins i the slot it, the reduced portion 20 of the rivet slidirg in the slot until it comes to rest in the upper end l6b thereof.

When each of the legs is thus engaged with a corner of the lower tray !5, the tray will then be supported on the legs as well as at the same time maintaining the legs in upright position. This assembly is further secured by interengagement of the upper tray M with the legs. As here shown, the upper tray hi and the rear legs in and H may be secured together by a slot-and-rivet arrangement similar to that just described for the lower tray.

In order to provide an improved rigidity for the assembled structure, which so frequently demountable structures lack, the present invention contemplates an enhanced tongue-and-groove connection for at least two of the legs and at least one of the trays, such enhanced connection being desirably in the form of a telescoping arrangement of one or more, in this instance the two front legs 12 and i3, and the upper tray 14.

As best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the upper tray at its front corners respectively is provided with an upright angle member 21 the side margins of which are folded over upon itself as at 22, 23 forming flanges in spaced relation with the angle member to provide a vertically extended angular somewhat L-shaped socket into which the L- shaped leg l2 may be telescoped, as the male angular member of the connection. The margins 22, 23 are folded over outwardly of the angle of the socket and are spaced from the main member 2| just sufficient to permit the margins of the leg E2 to slide therebetween by a vertical reciprocating motion. In order to facilitate entry of the leg into the socket thus provided the foldedover margin flange 22 as here shown at one side of the member 2!, is discontinued, as at 24, short of the other side 23, so that the leg need be engaged with only one flange at a time, that is first the flange 23, which then serves to guide the leg into the flange 22. Advantageously Where the flange 22 is discontinued as at 24 and also where the flange 23 is discontinued ,as at 25, a rounded contour is provided to avoid sharp corners and also to assist in the interengagement of the parts.

Desirably also abutment means are provided for limiting the telescoping engagement of the 50 leg l2 and the socket thus provided. As here shown, such abutment means are provided by folding over the upper end margin of the member 2| as at 26 similarly to the folded-over side margins 22 and 23 and conforming to the form 55 of the socket, the upper edge 21 of the leg being pushed home until it is snugly received between the folded-over end margins 26 and the main member 2|. This. further enhances the socket effeet and also conceals the upper edge 2'! of the leg, further avoiding sharp corners or edges. Thus the member 2! becomes in effect a substantially integral part of the leg of the rack, contributing, without the use of screws or bolts, to an extremely sturdy and rigid construction by engagement with the leg over a relatively extended area.

It will be understood that the leg 3 at the opposite front corner of the structure is provided with a similar arrangement which is. not necessary to further describe.

If desired, a shelf 28 may be provided above the structure just described. As here shown, the rear legs it, i l are continued upwardly above the tray 14 and there are bent over forwardly as at 29 preferably sloping slightly downwardly to form bracket cantilever supports for the shelf 28 which may be secured to these brackets by a slot and rivet connection 36, 3! similar to the connection l6-i9 already described. For further security of this shelf, if desired, a bolt 32 may be passed through the bracket support 29 and the shelf and a wing nut 33 tightened thereon.

The shelf 23 may have a relatively low edge about its front and sides formed by bending up the metal of the shelf into a low flange 34. This shelf is conveniently used for the display of cakes. The trays M and it: are usually for displaying bread and as shown the front wall 35 of each of these trays may be bent downwardly leaving an open space through which the bread may be better displayed and also providing a flat surface upon which an advertisement may be secured.

When the front walls 35 are thus bent downwardly a reinforcing bar 36 may be substituted there- 'for across the front of the tray.

Adjacent the slot l6, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, reinforcing plates 31 may be also secured.

For convenience in moving the structure from one location to the other the usual rollers or casters 38 may be affixed to the lower extremities of the legs.

Having described claimed is:

the invention, what is 1. In a demountable display rack having a shelf and two front and two rear separable legs, the two front legs being of angular cross-section, the combination of a vertical socket carried by each front corner of the said shelf, one of said front legs and a socket being telescopically interengaged, the said socket being formed by an elongated angle member having side margins folded over the longitudinal edges of the member outwardly of the angle formed thereby, said member also having its uppermost end margin folded angularly similarly toits side margins, said leg being received by a longitudinal sliding movement between the angle member and said margins, said folded-over end margin providing an abutment limiting said telescopic engagement, and means. for detachably securing the rear legs to the rear corners of the shelf respectively.

2. In a demountable display rack having a shelf and two front and two rear separable legs, the two front legs being of angular cross-section, the combination of a vertical socket carried by each front corner of the said shelf, one of said front legs and a socket being telescopically interengaged, the said socket being formed by an elongated angle member having relatively narrow side margins folded over its longitudinal edges outwardly of the angle formed thereby sufficiently to snugly receive the upper end of the.

leg initially at the lower end of the socket, said member also having its uppermost end margin folded angularly similarly to its side margins and conforming to the angle of the member, said leg being received by a. longitudinal sliding move-' ment between the angle member and said margins, said folded-over end margin providing an abutment limiting said telescopic engagement and one of said folded-over longitudinal margins being discontinued short of the other longitudinal margin at the end of the socket opposite the folded end margin to enhance ease of assembly, and means for detachably securing the rear legs to the rear corners of the shelf.

JAMES E. BALES. TRACY C. WELTMER. 

